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St. James Town is known as Canada's most densely populated neighbourhood. Primarily comprised of mid 20th-century rental apartment buildings, pockets of revitalization within this low-income community have begun which will both modernize existing developments while adding new residents. One of these new developments is a 43-storey rental tower being added by Medallion Corporation within an existing development on Sherbourne Street north of Earl Street. The Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed tower will replace a former No Frills supermarket while reconfiguring the rest of the pedestrian realm of the existing development, including new retail and new townhome units.
As seen above from both the west and the east, the No Frills property is currently being demolished to make way for the new high-rise and townhouse complex, which will add 409 rental units to the community.
The tower will be 120 meters high, with lobby access from Sherbourne Street, while the rest of that frontage will be rebuilt with new grocery and convenience retail, replacing the shuttered supermarket and other stores. Two and three-storey townhomes will be added at ground level fronting Bleecker Street along the east side of the complex.
A podium roof green space which used to bridge Earl Street, creating a tunnel effect at ground level, has already ben demolished, opening up the intersection to direct sunlight for the first time in decades. In the image below, shot in late April, we can see where the former roof decking was removed from above Earl Street - a much better look than pre-construction angles from Google Street View.
This addition to St. James Town supports intensification goals of the province's Places To Grow Act, which promotes more efficient use of spaces and services and spurs economic development in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area.
You can stay up to date on the construction process at 545 Sherbourne by joining the discussion in the associated Forum thread. Comments can be left in the space provided at the bottom of this page.
